Tao is an immigrant wandering fortune teller. She knows it’s important to stick to small fortunes like when it will rain or if someone should expect good news. She is used to being alone and independent. Along the way she meets up with two men searching for a child. They meet up with brilliant if messy baker who joins them.

This cozy fantasy is filled with themes of friendship and found family. There’s a hero’s quest to find the missing girl. There’s a difficult and heartwarming mother-daughter relationship to parse. And of course there’s a grumpy cat!

It’s definitely a slower, lighter read for fantasy and at times the plot dragged for me. It was almost too low key even for me. A random side quest almost seemed out of place for the story as a whole. The conclusion wraps things up neatly in a satisfying manner.

The characters had no depth to them. The story, while imaginative, seemed too simple. For me, this book was just barely OK. Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for the complimentary digital ARC. This opinion is my own. Disappointing.

I read somewhere that The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong was a book in a new subgenre, being a cozy fantasy book. No matter what it is called it is a captivating story with characters that you love. A created group as such with a common goal to begin with, then finding that they are now a family. Despite some of the heavy topics and ideas this is a delightful book. New beginnings, past coming to haunt, forgiveness, acceptance are just some of the themes that spoke to me. From a new-to-me-author, I will eagerly be looking for more from her.

This is definitely different from my typical read but the beautiful cover and description caught my attention. This book was seriously just so cozy. If you like found family, I really enjoyed that element to the book. Tao’s character development was my favorite part of the story. The book also touches on the struggles of identity and explores Tao’s immigrant experience. This was a low stakes, cozy adventure fantasy read. Great for this time of year. Congrats on getting chosen for Book of the Month!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for letting me read an e-ARC of The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong!

I’ve been in a pretty bad reading slump for the majority of October, but after tearing through this book, my heart feels more restored. Leong brings Tao’s world to life with vivid imagery, baked goods that float off the page, and realistic everyday people just trying to find their way through life. Tao’s journey of vulnerability and opening up to people is one that I think will resonate with many readers. Especially as she tries to reckon with her life as an immigrant who has had to leave her home country behind and adopt the language and practices of a new, foreign country. It's not just Tao who grows throughout the story, though. All of her companions in one way or another come to learn about themselves -- their values, their hopes and dreams, their goals -- all because their paths crossed and they chose to travel together. Friendship and family are heavily explored themes and will pull on your heartstrings throughout the entire book.

There is so much to talk about with this book, but if you are a fan of cozy fantasy with the lowest of low stakes, this is probably the book for you. It’s recommended for fans of Legends & Lattes, but I think many will love this slice of life story even more. I can’t wait to see what else Leong will cook up in her career!

This cozy fantasy debut is a gem. And I LOVED it! Beautifully written, it conveys an aura of magic and myth with gentleness and heart, and I was drawn in from the start. Then, I fell in love with the characters and did not want the book to end! Heartwarming and sweet, the story has depth as it touches on themes like found family, personal growth, healing and forgiveness, and immigrant experiences.

The character development is very well done, with nuanced characters that come to life on the page. Tao, a wandering immigrant fortune teller, is about to embark on an unexpected adventure. A seemingly ordinary small fortune will lead her to travel with a former mercenary searching for his missing child, a semi-reformed thief, an apprentice baker hungry for new experiences, and some fabulous animals. As they travel and open up to one another, they show tremendous growth across the story, and you can't help but root for them. I loved this and cannot wait to read what Leong writes next! Fans of cozy fantasy don't miss this one!

Phyllis Ho's narration of the audiobook is delightful. She brings a sense of wonder to the world-building and expertly embodies the various personalities and emotions of the characters. Her narration kept me fully immersed in the story, even when I couldn't read the physical book. I alternated between the physical and audio, and the story is entertaining in either format.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing, Ace Books, Penguin Random House Audio, and Netgalley for the gifted book!

The Teller of Small Fortunes felt very whimsical in its delivery especially listening to the audiobook which was perfectly done by the way. I loved listening the narrator!

Tao, with the ability to tell big fortunes, chose to only tell small fortunes. She did this because with granting big fortunes comes big consequences. Underneath the whimsical feel, this book has a true message of friendships, found family, forgiveness, believing in yourself and more! There is an emotional pull as we follow Tao’s adventure and those friends she finds along the way. It made me think of friendships I’ve made through the love of books and sharing on social media, ones that I would not have made if not for this adventure on social media. The fantasy adventure followed in this story is one that would be great for a novice fantasy reader, or first time fantasy readers who want to dig into the genre. This could just be my thought, but at one point I got The House on the Cerulean Sea vibes which I know is a bookstagram favorite of many!

A wandering fortune teller finds herself on an unexpected adventure as well as befriending unlikely people... yet when her real magic catches the eyes of others she'll have to rely on her new friends in this soft found family fantasy read. Tao is a wandering fortune teller, she travels from town to town offering "small" fortunes, refusing to ever veer into bigger ones after the terrible consequences of the big fortune she once told. Tao is lonely... and when one of her small fortunes leads to her being swept up in helping an ex-mercenary and reformed thief search for a lost child she can't say no, and along for the way is a baker and a slightly magical cat. This was a really warm hearted and sweet adventure that focuses on friendship and found family. It's a easy read and just feels like a cozy time.

Release Date: November 5,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This is a lovely cozy book. It is a fantastical story about a young woman who can tell fortunes, but she refuses to tell any fortune outside of a small one. Something simple that will not cause people to feel like their life is dictated for them. On her journeys she finds three other friends who join to form a merry gang, each hoping to find something along the way. This book is very easy to read, and the characters are simple, but still have vibrancy of their own that shines through the pages. If you’re looking for a book that has good characters and a decent plotline look no further.
Thank you to Berkly Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

#TheTellerOfSmallFortunes:⁣
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Thank you @prhaudio @berkleypub @acebookspub for my free copies! #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyPartner⁣
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“There’s no such thing as greater good—there’s just good, and the more of it we can do, the better.”⁣
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I’m telling you, cozy fantasy just tugs at my heartstrings and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and I never want this feeling to go away.⁣
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This gave me Wizard of Oz feels as we are literally just picking up random people along the way. It’s truly a merry little band of misfits and I adored it. I had a soft spot for Mash, that grumpy ole rut. I couldn’t help but have a soft spot. ⁣
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The audio was decent by Phyllis Ho. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was easy to listen to as I went through and put away Halloween decorations. It wasn’t terrible either. I’d say a definite happy medium. When I had the option to read the physical book, I did choose that instead. ⁣
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Overall, a solid cozy fantasy for all the snuggly feels. A definite recommend and I can see why it’s a @bookofthemonth pick this month!

Unfortunately this one wasn't my favorite. I was really hoping to connect with the characters more but it didn't quite work out that way. The story had potential, and I appreciated the author's creativity but this one fell flat for me.

Cute, gentle. Definitely a book for those looking for cozy fantasy. A found family story rather than a romance and it kind of reminds me of the gentler Studio Ghibli cartoons. Also goes into the immigrant experience but not in a super deep way, more an acknowledgement the character moved to the country as a child and doesn’t remember her country of birth or the language very well. Good book and I’ve marked the author to follow in Goodreads because I’d 100% read another by the same author.

The Teller of Small Fortunes is a cozy fantasy following Tao, an immigrant fortune teller. Tao only tells small fortunes, not the big life altering fortunes. She travels through small towns and villages, with her friend (and Mule) Laohu. Laohu is a character in his own right, and I love it!

Tao is an endearing protagonist who is used to traveling alone. She’s joined by a cast of quirky adventurers, including a one-eyed cat. Each character is well-developed, bringing their own quirks and stories that add depth to the story.

I am a sucker for a found family, especially when that family includes animals. I really enjoyed this book. It was cozy and wholesome and fun to read.

The Teller Of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong. Since Tao be came an adult she’s been making her living by telling small fortunes and for reasons only known to herself she will not tell big life-changing fortunes in its all due to her childhood back in Shinara, The Frenemy to Eshtera. Her life changes for the better on the day she is stopped due to a tree in the road this is when she meets mash, A warm hearted mercenary who is searching for his daughter four-year-old Lee and Silt, The mercenaries best friend and a reformed thief who loves to laugh and make others happy. Eventually they will meet Kenna who is an apprentice to her uncle as a baker somethings she loves to do but it’s ready for adventures of her own. The ragtag group wind up making their own little family in search of little Lee who seem to always get their self in one spot of trouble or another. Not to mention Tao ha’s a member of the magic guild hot on her trail in the last thing she wants to do is to work for the crown. Despite it something hundreds of people apply for due to the lofty station it puts them at, but again for reasons of her own she still wants nothing to do with it. Will she be forced to go back to the capital city and work for the guild? Will Mash ever find Leigh and if they do will this break the chosen family up forever? This was a pretty good book but I think I’ve been conditioned in a fairytale to look for the romance and that is something that never happened and I think it threw me off but irregardless I still really enjoyed it I do think that should’ve been more interaction with magical beings Fairys ET see because at the beginning I didn’t even know this was a fairytale. I still recommend it and still absolutely totally enjoyed it. #NetGalley,#Berkeley, #JulieLeong, #TheTellerOfSmallFortunes,

The Teller of Small Fortunes was such a fun, cozy fantasy with a great cast of characters and a journey of growth and self acceptance. I sometimes struggle with cozy stories, as I can get bored if there’s not much happening regarding the plot - but I didn’t have that issue here. This story was the perfect combo of low stakes adventure and silly shenanigans amongst friends. Reading Tao’s character development was definitely the highlight of the story. I also adored all the animal companions and thought the world building was expertly done. Overall, I think The Teller of Small Fortunes is a great choice for anyone who enjoyed The Spellshop, Travis Baldree’s works, and Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea.

Thank you to Ace Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Really enjoyed this one. A little slow to start but it picked up once Tao started interacting with other characters and the overall story arc was solid. Good use of character tropes to build deeper, more real lives that interact with one another in a variety of ways.
I do feel as though some of the secondary arcs were a bit perfunctory and either needed a little more time to play out or to be cut entirely.. as they are, they feel like detours that distract from the main story but aren’t compelling enough to keep the readers attention.
Overall a fun read, though. Would definitely read another by this author.

Read if you like books with/that are:
🫂 Found Family
🌏 Asia Setting
✨ Magical Realism/ Light Fantasy
🗺️ Adventures & Traveling
🥺 Sadness and Loss
❤️‍🩹 Tender & Healing

I really, really enjoyed this! It is very cozy and the found family and adventure was so well done! If you aren’t huge into fantasy because of all the world building and complicated details, this is one you can easily enjoy as it doesn’t have those aspects so feels a bit more like magical realism to me personally.

I also really loved that we got bipoc characters with the story set in Asia and the discussion of not fitting in when you leave your home and move to another area with a different culture and where you visible do not fit in. I felt this part of the storytelling was so emotional and thought provoking.

I also loved the idea of is the outcome a result of seeing or is seeing the result of the predestined outcome… and the questioning of self and choices that came from our MC’s gift and how her gift had impacted her life, family, self-confidence, and her future and past.

All in all, I can’t say enough about this one and really enjoyed it and hope others read and enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

I LOVED this! What a delightfully warm and cozy romp of a quest fantasy!

Recommended for fans of Found Family, Cozy Fantasy, and Low-Stakes Quests.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong is a charming and heartwarming cozy fantasy that delves into the themes of self-discovery and forging one's own path. This captivating novel is a true gem that will not only warm your heart but also nourish your soul. I was completely enamored with every moment of this delightful read!

The silliest of a silly good times, this feels like a warm hug from a big bear of a brother after a long day. Cozy and comforting and perfectly warm. A wandering teller of small fortunes collects a rag tag group of friends and embarks on a quest to find a missing child.

What I loved…
- found family
- magic
- cat companion
- mystery and intrigue
- strong friendships
- QUEST!
- quirky
- ace/aro rep
- well moving (albeit meandering) plot
- whimsy
- tackles heavier themes in a meaningful way without feeling heavy!
- magical creatures

What I didn’t love…
- honestly, this was a spectacularly well done cozy fantasy. My personal preference is a little more movement with the plot but if you're ok with a medium paced plot this is a perfect read.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.